My Life

My name is Liesel Meminger.
An accordionist.
Jesse Owens.
Himmel Street.
Germany, 1943.
Jewish fist fighter.
Thief.
I have seen Death.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Himmel Street


At age nine, I came to my foster family. My mother needed to leave to the country, so she took my brother, Werner, and I to Munich. On the train ride, my brother died. I am sure my mother had a reason, but now I do not have a mother. Or a brother.
I came to Himmel Street. Himmel means Heaven. Heaven Street. It did not look like a heaven.My foster parents were waiting. The foster care lady presented them with, "Your new home." It took fifteen minutes to coax me out of the car. Papa won over me with his quiet nature, and I conceded. From that time on, I have lived in the house on Himmel Street with Papa and Mama Rosa. Until now. Himmel Street is gone. Rudy, Tommy, Frau Holtzapfel, Frau Diller, Pfiffikus, Papa, Mama. All are gone. I can not recognize my street. You wonder why I was saved. I was saved by The Book Thief. I was writing, in the basement. The basement that was deemed not deep enough for an air raid shelter. I lived because of luck. The sirens didn't go off in time. Every person I know has died.
I asked the Air Raid Special Unit man, "Is this still Himmel Street?" That was before it hit me. Where was Papa and Mama and Rudy and everyone else? I looked around and saw their bodies being carried away by workers. My papa was a broken accordion. I wept. I was carried away. Now I will have to make a life for myself away from my home. Himmel Street may not have been a heaven, but it was a home.
August 18, 1943

1 comment:

Marshfield Dreams said...

This is a very epic and detailed blog you got here! I am very pleased to read it! It is really sad how he was seperated from his mom and his brother died! This makes me want to read the book!

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